Love's Song
by strawberriesxpizza
Summary: Gabriella moves to England after a family tragedy. Will she find love along the way?


Disclaimer: Don't own HSM, or anything related to it. Enjoy!

Author's Note: It's a tearjerker, maybe.

*******

"Mom, Gabriella, I'll be back in an hour!" Simon Montez called, climbing into the red Fiat. The car pulled out of the Montez's driveway in Albuquerque, did not need to guess where her brother was going. He was going on a date with his beautiful girlfriend Jenni. She stared wistfully at the fading car, and wished she had Simon. People often said Gabriella did not resemble her family, and they were not wrong. After all, she was an adopted child. Gabriella had beautiful black hair, olive skin and a slim body fit for a sixteen year old, while Simon's handsome features and slick brown hair resembled his father, who died years ago. Mrs. Maria Montez, the kind widow, as most people called her, was not beautiful for a women of forty eight. But her kind face had no wrinkles and her brown hair showed no specks of gray.

Gabriella had a crush on Simon for three years now, and she loved him far more than a brother. His blue eyes could catch any girl's heart, but Gabriella knew in her own heart that she loved Simon more than anyone else in the world, even Mrs. Montez.

Gabriella spent the hour reading and waiting for Simon, as she always did. The clock ticked noisily and the sounds of Mrs. Montez's knitting and her chair rocking could be heard throughout the house,

Late into the night the sound of keys in the door was heard and the door creaked open. A boy Simon of age eighteen stepped in quietly as a mouse and went up to his sister, who had fallen asleep waiting for him on the couch, her book across her lap. Silently, he went up and put her head on his shoulder. The sleeping girl stirred but fell back into her slumber. Simon stroked Gabriella's head gently for a while, then kissed her cheek. The moments of silence were broken by the loud chiming of the grandfather clock, indicating midnight.

"Gabriella, I know of your feelings toward me," Simon whispered into the night and to his sleeping sister. His voice was so soothing, like a lullaby. "I am sorry I am unable to love you back as more, but I will always love you, almost as I love Jenni. You are a beautiful and gentle girl, like the night breeze that lures me to sleep each night. I have to go for a while now. Sleep well." Simon slowly lifted Gabriella's face up to his, then gently placed his lips over hers. It was a short kiss, but a true one. Seconds later the boy left again. Gabriella opened her eyes and gazed at the empty driveway, trying to recall the kiss that she only half remembered, then fell back asleep.

The quiet dawn house of the Montezs were once again disturbed by the shrill ringing of the phone. Gabriella rose from the couch and picked up the phone that rang at two o'clock. A male voice spoke. "Miss Montez, this is Officer Joy from the Albuquerque Police Department. I think you'd better come down to South Street. There has been an accident with your brother." Then he hung up.

Gabriella was still for a moment, before she threw down the receiver and screamed. "Mother!" Two ladies, one young, and one old, arrived at South Street minutes later. Police cars were everywhere, and there was an ambulance. A small crowd was huddled around two bodies.

Gabriella and Maria Montez rushed and pushed through the crowd, where three officers were examining the two bodies. One was a stranger, whose head was heavily bandaged and stains of blood were visible through the other was Simon. The boy's head was bleeding heavily and blood stained his body, where cuts and bruises were located. Two more officers came with a stretcher and lifted the stranger onto it.

"Emergency room immediately. There still might be hope." An officer said." What about my brother? He needs to go to the hospital, too!" Gabriella screamed, her voice shaking uncontrollable as she stared at the bloody heap of her brother." He needs to go! Somebody, bring a stretcher!" Gabriella was shrieking, tears streaming down her face as she wrung her hands desperately.

"Miss Montez, I'm sorry. There is no need for Simon to go to a hospital." The officer said, trying to soothe the frantic girl.

"Why not?! _That _person got to go! There's still hope!" Gabriella cried, shaking her head." Simon Montez is dead."Gabriella froze. Maria Montez fainted, but Gabriella didn't. Before she knew what she was doing, she grabbed the officer's shirt.

"You're lying. Simon said he was only going out for a little while. He's coming back!" Gabriella cried shrilly. At that moment all she wanted was for her brother to come back. She thought she was going crazy.

"I'm sorry. But he is dead." The officer replied, looking somber. He loosened himself from Gabriella's grip and walked stood, then knelt in front of Simon. She stroked his soft hair as he did to her, staining her hands with blood from his hair. Her tears spilled and she hugged Simon to her. The crowd slowly parted, leaving Gabriella and the dead Simon. The officer came over and patted Gabriella's shoulder gently." Miss Montez, we have to take your brother." He said. The officer waved his hand and two other policemen gently pulled Gabriella off Simon.

Gabriella didn't know why she didn't object. But she didn't argue as Simon was lifted onto a stretcher and covered in a white cloth. The sirens of the ambulance and police cars softened as they slowly drove away. Gabriella felt a fresh wave of tears come to her eyes, and she stood staring at the disappearing vehicles Simon Montez died on December 14th.

* * *

It had been almost a year since the death of her brother. Gabriella never really got over the tragic incident, but much to her surprise, life soon became normal again for all others, but never for Gabriella. A part of her had died, and she knew it was her heart. The young girl decided to attend a music orchestra school in England.

After Simon's death, they never shut down the small beach house Gabriella's brother owned, but nobody ever went there again. However, everything inside was still active. Gabriella buried her thoughts and quickly placed the picture into her suitcase. She grabbed the suitcase and heaved it downstairs, where her mother was waiting for her.

"Come on, hurry up, dear." Mrs. Montez beckoned, climbing into the driver's seat of their Fiat. Mother and daughter bade each other goodbye at the airport. Maria Montez kissed Gabriella on the cheek and told her to go and be careful. Hours and hours later the American Airlines landed at the London airport. Gabriella climbed off the airplane along with the other passengers. Security guards stood still as statues at every entrance, an the airport here wasn't as crowded. The girl's eyes darted around for some sign of what she was looking for, a person or people who represented the Carson Music School. Just then Gabriella heard her name.

"Miss Gabriella Montez!"

She spun around. A boy dressed in a blue uniform gestured toward her. He ran over and took her suitcase, escorting her to a small group of people who were dressed as he was. The boy was red-haired and freckled. His British accent was strong and he seemed very polite.

"Miss Gabriella, this is our president, Mr. Aaron Spiel. And I'm Randy." The red head introduced. Gabriella nodded and shook hands with Mr. Spiel.

"Welcome, Miss Montez. We are honored to have you attend our music school." Mr. Spiel said warmly." Thank you for coming all this way."

They escorted Gabriella to a van and rode to the school. England was beautiful in an eerie way. Everything in London was so formal and exquisite. The construction was unique and brilliant, in Gabriella's thoughts. They arrived at a white marble building and went inside. Pictures and portraits of the orchestra and extraordinary players were hung all over the wall.

Suddenly out of the corner of her eye, Gabriella saw a lock of slick sandy brown hair disappear at a corner of the hallway the girl's breath caught in her chest as Simon flashed across her mind. She dropped her suitcase and ran to the hall where she had seen the boy. But just then the doors opened and a crowd of students holding violins came out. Gabriella searched frantically for the boy, but he was gone.

"Gabriella, is anything wrong?" the voice of Randy brought her back to her senses.

"Oh, nothing." Gabriella hesitated.

Later Gabriella was brought to a dormitory, where there was two beds. Randy addressed Gabriella to hers, which was on the far right.

"Gabriella, I understand if you're tired, but in an hour there will be a welcome ceremony for you. You can come if you wish." Randy set down her suitcase and walked out. The girl peered around the dormitory and hung her clothes up in a closet that she shared with the other girl. She'd just set down her picture of Simon and her when the door opened and a girl entered. The girl glanced at Gabriella, then walked up to her and held out her hand, her blond curls dangling from an expensive butterfly hairpin.

"Hello, I'm Tiara Gold. You share a room with me." The girl said abruptly in a superior tone.

Gabriella held out her own hand and shook Tiara's. "I'm Gabriella Montez." She introduced.

"Oh, so _you're_ the girl from America? Going to the ceremony? I wouldn't miss all the attention for the world if I were you." Tiara sat onto her own bed and popped a candy into her mouth.

"I play the viola, you?"

"I play the harp." Gabriella explained. She did not feel like engaging conversation with anyone right now, especially Tiara. Tiara seemed to read her thoughts, and she hopped off her bed, looking bored.

"Well, I'm leaving."

The girl slammed the door behind her.

* * *

An hour later Gabriella stepped up onto the stage and was introduced to the orchestra piece of one hundred and seventy. Gabriella scanned the big orchestra with interest. It was certainly a good orchestra. Suddenly Gabriella spotted the same head of hair again. Once again Gabriella felt her heart hammer against her chest. The boy's hair was slicked back and his head was down, studying the keys of the grand piano. Gabriella dropped the microphone with a loud clang and all heads turned to her. Tiara and her huge group of friends smirked and giggled. The boy looked up and Gabriella gasped with shock. The boy _was _Simon. Exact sapphire blue eyes looked at her, except ten times colder, and the same pale skin and beautiful blonde hair.

"Simon!" Gabriella whispered, her voice hoarse with shock. The boy stepped up to her.

"What do you want, Montez?" he asked icily.

"Oh, this is Troy Bolton, our pianist." Randy explained, looking rather embarrassed at Troy's rude attitude. "He's rather inhospitable toward strangers."

But Gabriella didn't hear him. All she saw was her handsome brother, standing alive in front of her. Tears filled her eyes and even Troy seemed surprise as the teardrops slid down Gabriella's white face and dropped onto her harp.

"You're not dead." Gabriella whispered.

"You are very much mistaken, Montez. I never died. And my name is not Simon, it's Troy, T-R-O-Y, in case you can't hear or spell." The boy turned on his heels and went back to the piano. _Why is Simon being so mean and cold?_ Gabriella thought. He doesn't love me, he hates me. Why does he glare at me like that like he never knew me? Clapping her hands over her mouth, Gabriella sped out of the auditorium.

"What did you call Troy, Gabriella Montez?" Tiara demanded, rounding on Gabriella forcefully, where Gabriella was staring wistfully at the picture of her and Simon. Tiara snatched the picture out of Gabriella's hands.

"How did you know Troy?" she snapped, staring at the picture in disbelief and disgust.

" That's my brother Simon when he was still alive." Gabriella said, reaching out to take her picture back. "Please give it to me." Tiara smirked and held the picture out of reach.

"You really like him, don't you?" she asked. Gabriella looked away but didn't answer. To Gabriella's horror, Tiara dropped the picture. The glass frame crashed to the floor an it shattered. The picture lay in the puddle of broken glass.

"NO!" Gabriella cried, bending to pick up the picture. The girl felt her heart shatter the moment the glass shattered. Tears streamed down Gabriella's face as she held the picture to her chest.

"Why did you have to do that?" Gabriella cried, glaring up at Tiara with tear-filled eyes.

"Oh, I'm SO sorry. It just.. _slipped _out of my hand." Tiara said sarcastically. She moved her face closer to Gabriella's. "But I'm warning you, Gabriella Montez, I like Troy, so stay away. He's _mine_." She stepped over the glass an stalked out, leaving Gabriella and her shattered frame and heart.

Neither Gabriella or Tiara mentioned anything about the picture incident. Gabriella performed spectacularly the next few days and their orchestra concert was a great success.

Troy walked over to his dormitory after the day of exhausting performing. His fingers were numb from playing. He reached his dormitory and found his roommate, Chad Danforth sitting on the floor, three cups upside down in front of him.

"Want me to foretell your future for you, Bolton?" Chad asked, wrinkling his forehead.

"No thanks, Danforth. I've outgrown fortune-telling." Troy said coldly.

"Come on, Bolton. Try it." Chad nagged, pulling on Troy's sleeve. The boy swung free and rolled his eyes, sitting down across from Chad.

"Pick one." Chad instructed, mixing the three cups up. Troy gave an impatient sigh and picked the middle one. Chad carefully opened the cup and took out a piece of paper.

"Ooh, this is a love spirit. It says the girl of your life is getting closer to you now. You will find on her a card that says the same thing as I said to you." Chad said, with a look of awe on his face.

Troy rolled his eyes in annoyance. "It's just a bunch of crap, as usual." He muttered, climbing into bed.

Gabriella walked along back to her dormitories after a day of music class. Suddenly, a shoulder knocked into hers and immense pain shot through her shoulder bones. It was Troy. For a moment their eyes met. Gabriella stared deep into Troy's blue eyes and saw something. She wasn't sure what it was, but it looked like a streak of sunlight through all the ice. She stared at him for a long while and he stared back. Gabriella couldn't believe that anyone could look so alike in the world. The girl thought of Simon's handsome face, and his wonderful blue eyes, and that he would be standing here right next to her, them still joking and laughing like old times, if he hadn't died in that horrible accident. If it weren't for that other stupid driver, Simon would still be here— A single tear rolled down her cheek and she let it trickle down her chin.

"Why do you always cry whenever you see me, Montez?" Troy asked, narrowing his eyes so they looked like slits.

"You remind me of someone," Gabriella said vaguely, looking as if in a trance. "Someone that meant the world to me, someone who would be here today if that car accident hadn't happened." Gabriella turned on her heels and sped down the hall toward her dormitory. She hated facing Troy. She didn't look back to see Troy staring after her for a long time. Somehow he remembered so clearly the way she looked at him. The way her tears rolled down her cheeks when she looked into her eyes. He slowly felt his heart crack.

_Why did _he _care_, Gabriella thought. Why would he care about she cried. Unless he really is Simon? Before Gabriella could go into solutions of how that was possible, something on the ground caught her eye. It was a card that was laying face down. Curiously Gabriella picked it up.

"The boy of your life is getting closer." Gabriella read the card out loud. The girl smiled wanly. She didn't believe in fortune telling, but all the same Gabriella stuffed the card into her pocket, then went off to her dorm.

**If you're confused as to why Simon kissed Gabi, remember that they're not really related, she's adopted. And I'll make Tiara around Gabriella's age [if she wasn't already in HSM3]. This is a twelve-part 'series', but I'll be posting three at a time, or less depending on the ending.. Enjoy and review!**


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